The Surinam Cherry, also called pitanga, Brazil cherry, and
in Hawaii, pumpkin cherry, is a large shrub that can
achieve heights in excess of 25 feet. It is often referred to as a tree.The evergreen leaves, ovate to
lanceolate, are slightly bronze colored when young and about 2 inches x 1/2 to
3/4 inches. One to four fragrant white flowers are found together in a leaf
axil, each 3/8 inch diameter with an average of 50 stamens. The fruit is thin
skinned, 7 to 8 ribs, 1.5 inch diameter with 1 to 3 seeds. The fruit is green
when young, turning to orange then to a bright red or dark purple-black. The
sweet juicy flesh is considered refreshing by some and an acquired taste by
others due to its resinous flavor.

A member of the Myrtaceae family,
the plant is related to guava, jaboticaba, mountain apple and other members of
the genus Eugenia, which includes more than 30 edible species.

Chefs chose Surinam cherry as part
of the 12 Trees Project because of its versatility for culinary uses,
attractive color and unusual flavor. Introduction of the fruit into
Hawaii is believed to be prior to 1911.

Varieties

There are two distinct variations
found in Surinam cherry, a common red colored fruit and a less resinous dark
purple to black, often sweeter fruit. An Israeli cultivar named ‘Gitit’ is
untested in Hawaii as are plants from a Brazilian breeding program that
identified 3 promising cultivars in 1996.

Environment

The Surinam cherry is a tropical that can be grown in
tropical or sub-tropical regions. It can be grown at sea level, although it is
intolerant of salt in the soil, and has been found at elevations up to 5000
feet. The plant has a long taproot and can survive periods of drought. It
produces fruit in full sun or partial shade.The plant thrives in most soils but produces more fruit in
deep loamy soil.

Some seedlings will produce fruit in 2 to 3 years while
others will produce in 5 to 6 years. Fruit matures within 3 weeks after
flowering. In many parts of Hawaii, fruiting occurs year around when rainfall
is abundant.

Culture

Cultivation of Surinam cherry occurs in many countries.
Often planted in rows spaced 6 to 10 foot apart, the shrubs are also planted as
hedgerows as close as 3 feet apart. The plant responds favorably to 1/2-pound
quarterly applications of organic 6-6-6 and irrigation in dry areas. Regular
mulching is advisable. Ten minutes of daily irrigation with a 1/2 gallon per
hour emitter helps the plant to create larger and somewhat sweeter fruit. In
countries where the cherry is cultivated, no pruning is done until after the
first year the shrub has heavily fruited. Pruning dead wood and shaping or
lowering the tree to facilitate harvesting is advisable, usually after the 6th
or 7th year of growth. The highly adaptable plant also serves as an
ornamental and will flourish in locations where other fruit crops are difficult
to establish.

Pests and Diseases

Surinam cherry is a fruit fly
host. Following the Hawaii Areawide Fruit Fly Pest Management Program
(HAW-FLYPM) is highly advisable. Scale insects and caterpillars are also
attracted to the tree. Twig dieback and root rot, caused by Rhizoctonia
solani , often occurs in Hawaii . Other
reported problems include leaf spot caused by Cercospora eugeniae, Helminthosporium
sp., and Phyllostica eugeniae; thread
blight from infection by Corticium stevensii; and anthracnose from Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. The use of Safer soap or neem oil sprays, and proper care
of the tree help to combat these diseases.

Propagation

Although usually grown from seed,
grafting plants with superior fruit does occur in countries where the fruit is
commercially cultivated (Brazil and India). Successful air layering is also
reported.Numerous seedlings are
often found under existing trees, the smaller of which can be easily
transplanted.Seeds are viable for
about a month and germinate in 3 to 4 weeks.

Harvesting and
Yield

Surinam cherry sold as fresh fruit
is generally harvested when fully ripe as the fruit contains more sugar and
less resin. Care must be taken not to damage the thin skin. The fruit is
edible, somewhat firmer and less susceptible to damagewhen the color is orange or orange-red,
but has a more resinous flavor. Fruit harvested for processing can be picked as
soon as it becomes orange. Chefs and jelly manufacturing companies have
expressed a desire for fruit at this stage.Ripe fruit should be package in the field in the vented
clamshell container in which it will be sold. It should be chilled as soon as
possible after harvest. Firmer fruit is also easier to pit than softer fully
ripe fruit. Yields from trees in Hawaii can vary from 6 lbs., from a 4-year old
tree, to 24 pounds from a 20-foot untrimmed tree in the wild. In India the
fruit is harvested once or twice daily with yields ranging from 6 to 8 pounds
per plant per year. Israel reports one untrimmed tree producing 2700
fruit in one year, with a total weight of 24 pounds. The average yield from a
Brazilian test plot was 15.4 pounds per tree per year.

Postharvest
Quality

As with most members of the
Eugenia genus, the faster the fruit can move from field to refrigeration, the
longer its shelf life. Freshly picked Surinam cherry chilled within an hour of
harvest maintained its integrity in the produce section of a South Kona
supermarket for 14 days.

Cost of
Production

The project Surinam cherry tree produced an annual
marketable yield of 12.0 pounds. The average market price was $3.75 per pound,
and therefore the tree generated a gross revenue of $45.00 for the year. Growing costs (fertilization,
irrigation, pruning and all weed and pest control) amounted to $19.45, and
harvesting costs (picking, packing and delivery to market) totaled $29.50. (All
labor to grow and harvest the Surinam cherries was assumed to be paid at an
hourly wage rate of $16.00, including withholding, FICA and benefits.) Thus,
the total annual operating costs, sometimes referred to as “variable costs,”
were $48.95. The gross margin
(gross revenue minus all operating costs) was a negative$3.95.

The Surinam cherry gross margin is the amount of money
available to pay all the ownership costs associated with the Surinam cherry
enterprise. Ownership costs, sometimes referred to as “fixed costs,” include
the value of land used (rent or rent equivalent or mortgage and property
taxes), the value of the capital investment (such as the tree establishment
cost and buildings and vehicles), the value of the management, and the value of
any unpaid labor. (All paid labor is already included in the gross margin.)
Ownership costs, unlike operating costs, will vary substantially from farm to
farm and will depend largely on how the farming operation is financed and on
economies of scale. Each grower will have to calculate his total farm ownership
costs and then allocate an appropriate portion of these costs to each
enterprise on the farm. Now the profitability of the Surinam cherry enterprise
can be determined by subtracting the Surinam cherry enterprise’s share of the
total ownership costs from the gross margin for Surinam cherries.

The cost and return data are what
was obtained from the 12 Trees Project site and other locations.Yields and costs were based on optimal
growing conditions for one or more trees at various locations; different
results will be obtained under different growing conditions.The prices used were actually obtained
in 2005 and 2006. There is no guarantee that these prices will continue,
especially if production increases significantly.These costs and returns are simply a starting point for
growers to make their own estimates.

Packaging,
Pricing and Marketing

The demand for Surinam cherry has
increased dramatically during the course of the 12 Trees Project due, in part,
to the awareness created by the project with area chefs who were unfamiliar
with this common, locally grown fruit, and because of the outstanding recipes
developed by the Community College Culinary Arts program. In addition to chefs,
Hawaii jelly manufacturers have also requested large quantities of the fruit.
In both cases fresh fruit or frozen puree would be acceptable. Fresh fruit
packaged for the consumer should be in vented clamshell containers with no more
than a double layer of fruit. Packed fruit should be even colored and inspected
carefully for defects and possible infestation. Fruit that leaks juice should
be discarded or kept for processing. Fruit harvested for sale to processors
should be washed.Seeds and stems
should be removed prior to processing into puree with a commercial juicer.
Puree for sale to chefs and manufacturers should be processed in a commercial
kitchen as required by the State Board of Health. In some cases chefs will
prefer to purchase fruit that is been cooked and strained but not pureed.
During the first 2 years of the 12 Trees Project the retail price of Surinam
cherry jumped from $2.00 per pound in 2003to the 2005 price of $3.50 a
pound. Wholesale prices to groceries and wholesalers jumped from $1.50 to$2.50 per pound in the same period.

Food Uses and
Nutrition

Average Brix 13 (5 samples each
from 2 trees with red fruit)

Average Brix 15 (5 samples each
from 1 tree with black fruit)

Food Value Per 100 g of Edible
Portion

Calories43-51 g

Moisture85.4-90.70 g

Protein0.84-1.01 g

Fat0.4-0.88 g

Carbohydrates7.93-12.5 g

Fiber0.34-0.6g

Ash0.34-0.5 g

Calcium9 mg

Phosphorus11 mg

Iron0.2 mg

Carotene (Vitamin A)1,200-2,000 I.U.

Thiamine0.03 mg

Riboflavin0.04
mg

Niacin0.03 mg

Ascorbic Acid20-30 mg

Health Benefits- A good source of vitamin A, vitaminC, iron and iodine. It is an antidiarrhoeic. Surinam cherry also has substantial amounts
of the antioxidant lycopene, beta-cryptoxanthin, gamma-caroteneand rubixanthin.

The seeds are reported to be toxic to some people and should
be avoided.

Recipes

Surinam Cherry Curry Sauce

Chef Paul Heerlein

Hawaii Community College- West
Hawaii Culinary Arts program

4 cups Surinam cherry puree

Thai yellow curry paste to taste

Raw honey to taste

1/2 cup sake

2 cloves crushed garlic

1 large knob of ginger, sliced

butter to taste

Surinam Cherry Ice Cubes

Vince Mott

Hawaii Community College- West
Hawaii Culinary Arts program

1.5 cups Surinam cherry puree

1 cup water

2oz sweet light molasses

2 oz sugar

mix together, pour one half
to 1 oz into small cups or ice cube trays and freeze.

Place cherry cubes in glasses of
Kona Rangpur Lime punch just before serving.

Mint leaf garnish is optional.

The 12 Trees Project

Is funded by the Western
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (WSARE) USDA-CSREES competitive
grants program.54 Hawaii Island
chefs, fruit buyers and growers were invited to select the types of fruit they
would like to see commercially available, based on their desire to utilize the
fruit in culinary applications. In selecting the final 12 fruits, considerations
were given to seasonality and harvest times so that the availability of
harvested fruit and on-farm labor needs were spread out over the year.

Fruit trees were planted and
brought into production at a demonstration orchard at the Kona Pacific Farmers
Cooperative on Napoopoo Road in the South Kona District. During the course of
the three-year project, fruit from this orchard, as well as additional fruit
purchased from area farmers, were donated to the West Hawaii Community College
culinary school. Culinary student chefs developed recipes to be published on
the project web site <http://www.hawaiifruit.net/12trees.html>
and in a book in the final year of the project. Members of the cooperative as
well as members of the Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers - West Hawaii association and
any other interested growers were encouraged to plant these trees. The goals of
this project were to increase profitable agricultural diversification and to
develop a consistently high quality, year-around supply of tropical fruit for
local markets.